Some trees were felled last week week on a city block bounded by Magazine and Main streets, but the trade-off is economic expansion on property now owned by Air Comfort Inc., which intends to build an 18,000 square-foot office and assembly plant across Main from its existing building.

The company, in business since 1954, customizes air-conditioning and other HVAC equipment for industrial clients, the oil-and-gas exploration and production industries, commercial and residential owners, said Slate Babineaux, who with his brother, Bret, is one of the company's two vice presidents.

"A large portion is in the energy sector," Slate Babineaux said. "It's been very good for us and there's more to come. We're trying to get prepared for that - for the ability to handle more work."

Entergy Texas had owned the property, he said. Air Comfort had approached Entergy perhaps 15 years ago to acquire it, but the utility wasn't interested at the time, he said.

He said Air Comfort is investing about $1.6 million in the new building into which the company will move its accounting, sales and design teams to support its offshore and industrial clients.

Residential and commercial installation operations and the executive offices will stay in the existing building, Babineaux said.

The family held an informal ground-breaking last Monday, with the two vice presidents and their parents, Charlene, and Danny, company president, and company controller Karen Arnold. It was quick and without the usual planned ceremony that involves the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce or city officials.

The Babineauxs are busy and did not want to delay the start of construction.

On Friday, trucks were hauling off debris.

The company has outgrown the existing building, Babineaux said.

"We're at the limit of what we can handle where we are now," Babineaux said. The new building will double the size of Air Comfort's existing footprint, he said.

At the moment, the company borrows parking space from St. Mark's Episcopal Church, which has always been a good neighbor, Babineaux said. The new property will provide parking for the company, which currently employs about 65 people and is likely to add more because of its expansion.

The Babineaux family acquired Air Comfort in 1988 from founder Don Cornell.

"Bret and I want to build on dad's good work in building the business," Slate Babineaux said. "He built great relationships and we want to take it to the next level."